What impact could you make?
When I was young, I just always had an interest in the dairy industry. It's very important that you're a people person, you've got to be confident in what you're saying and you need to be able to get dirty and just get in about it!Annie BrysonRuminant Nutritionist
Agriculture, forestry and fishing at a glance
Discover the range of opportunities within agriculture, forestry and fishing. Get ready to tackle issues facing the sector, such as sustainably feeding the population. The industry is part of food and drink primary production.
Employment
In 2023, there were 31,000 people working within food and drink production.
Future demand
Between 2024 and 2027, it's expected there will be 40,900 people needed to fill job openings in Scotland.
Job diversity
As of October 2024, there are 259 Modern Apprentices working within food and drink production.
Play a part in feeding the nation
We’ve pulled out some popular agriculture, forestry and fishing job profiles for you to explore.
Things you may not know about agriculture, forestry and fishing
Technology plays a big part in agriculture and farming. Now, most vehicles have computer displays to support precision farming and increase productivity as they aim to find a sustainable approach.
Source: ScienceDirect
Forestry contributes £1 billion per year to the Scottish economy and supports more than 25,000 jobs!
Source: Scottish Forestry
The industry can be your passport to an international career. There are opportunities to travel for harvest work all over the world!
What subjects you could take in school
We've pulled together some examples of subjects and Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) that could be useful for getting into an agriculture, forestry and fishing career.
environmental science
English
rural skills
maths
physical education
physics
business
Food and Drink Technologies FA
Scotland's leaders in agriculture, forestry and fishing
Discover some organisations within agriculture, forestry and fishing and how they’re making an impact on the industry.
Lantra
Lantra develops training and qualifications in a wide range of areas. These range from forestry to agriculture, fishing, landscapes and many more.
Visit Lantra
National Farmers Union Scotland (NFU)
NFU Scotland supports members to help them achieve a sustainable and profitable future for Scottish agriculture.
Visit NFU
Royal Highland Education Trust
The Royal Highland Education Trust works with volunteers to provide free educational activities and experiential learning opportunities.
Visit Royal Highland Education Trust
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
The charity is dedicated to the conservation and development of the UK’s native breeds of farm livestock.
Visit Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Scottish Forestry
An organisation helping to look after Scottish forests and woodlands. Their site has advice on starting out in forestry.
Visit Scottish Forestry
Forestry and Land Scotland
Looking after forests and land to improve biodiversity, support tourism and increase access to green spaces.
Visit Forestry and Land Scotland